"What the Mcfuck just happened to me?" A young man groggily said, still trying to adjust to his sudden change in environment.
As the young man looked around at his surroundings. He made two observations, first was that wherever he was it was very dark, and second was that he had to be in some type of cave or something. He felt the cold hard unforgiving solidness of the rocky ground he laid on. He felt the chill of the area creeping past his thin black shirt and shorts. These were still the same clothes he'd had on before blacking out. The only thing that was different was that he couldn't feel anything on his feet. When he felt down all he felt was bare toes.
"Where the hell are my shoes, and where the hell am I?" he wondered out loud.
He decided the first thing he needed to do was figure out how he got here. He sat there thinking about what had happened just prior to his waking up. He remembered coming home from the gym, and being excited for his post workout snack. Next thing he could remember he woke up here.
He sat there for several more minutes before sighing and deciding that sitting here and pondering his fate wasn't getting him anywhere. So, he stood up, took another look around and to his shock and horror now that his eyes had fully adjusted to his surroundings, he could now make out that this was like no cave he'd ever seen before.
The room he was in was massive, and while he hadn't noticed it earlier. On the far ends of the room there was this glowing moss that draped itself all around. This glowing moss illuminated the room just enough to be able to see, but not enough to see clearly. It reminded him of when you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and while you can kind of see it's not very well. Another thing he noticed was an exit to the right of him. He wasn't in too big of a hurry to go explore what's beyond it.
He was slowly coming to the realization that he wasn't on earth anymore, or at least not the earth he remembered. He still wasn't sure of the details or how he got here, but one thing was for sure. He wasn't in Kansas anymore.
He walked around the room observing every detail of the room. He was hoping that maybe something in the room would give him a clue as to how he came to end up in this place. When he got close to the exit to look and see what was beyond it, he almost had his head taken off by a huge sword that came ripping through seemingly out of nowhere. Just as it seemed that his head would be taking a vacation from his body a barrier formed at the entrance and not only blocked but sent the beast that swung it flying.
The young man couldn't tell what the beast was, just that it was huge and not friendly. This experience had frozen him in his place for several minutes. It was only when a soft feminine voice melodically filled his head that he snapped back to reality.
"I hope you are ok young traveler." The voice softly said
As the voice spoke the young man found himself becoming more at ease.
The female voice continued "I'm sure you have many questions, and I'll do my best to answer them. Anywhere particular you'd like me to start?"
The young man took a second to answer then responded with "Who are you?"
The female voice was quite amused with this inquiry. "HAHAHA, you wake up in a land you know nothing about and your first question is about me? You are an interesting one. I can see why Angrboda took such an… interest in you. Either way my name is Shelly, and if you couldn't tell I'm a goddess."
The young man stood there dumbstruck. He kind of figured the voice wasn't from some fellow human, but a goddess? This combined with everything else that's been happening since he awoke was getting a bit overwhelming. He finally spat out "My name is Zane Newgate."
Shelly found his demeanor cute. He was clearly overwhelmed, but still tried to keep it together. She had seen many men and women fall to insanity from just the sound of her voice. Zane though was not only keeping his sanity, but holding a conversation with her. Shelly's respect for Zane skyrocketed.
"Allow me to explain some things to you. First, you are not dead, dreaming, or hallucinating. You along with twenty other people have been reborn in this world. Oh, I guess it would help to know what this world is called. This world is called Nabyss, and it's a world of magic and monsters. In this world magic is everything. From basic life tasks to fighting the aforementioned monsters. All twenty of you were also given magic. What kind is based completely off you. Even I'm not privy to that knowledge."
Before Shelly could continue to ramble, Zane cut her off asking "That's all fine and I appreciate the help, but if twenty of us were brought here, then why am I all alone?"
Shelly was quiet for a spell then responded "Simply put Angrboda placed you here. I haven't the foggiest of her intentions. The other nineteen were also placed in different locations. Some in the same kingdom but different parts and others on different continents. You're the only one that was placed in a dungeon though. Actually, if I hadn't noticed that you were here and placed a protective barrier on this room, you'd have been monster chow before even waking up."
Zane sat with that for a bit then flatly said "Probably hurts less to be eaten in your sleep, but I guess I appreciate the save."
"You ungrateful brat, fine next time you need help I'll just keep my help to myself. Hmph" Shelly said pouting
Zane couldn't see her, but assumed she did the whole turning away upset, but imagined Shelly doing it in a cute way. Like when the cute short girl does it in the anime's he loved to watch. It was at that moment a wave of sadness washed over him. He was never going to be able to watch anime again. He felt his weeb soul dying with every painful realization.
"Hang on a second, I just realized something, I feel… younger" Zane said with a hint of confused panic in his voice.
"That makes sense, because you are younger. In your world you would be around twenty- six, but in this world you're fifteen." Shelly spoke with her calming melodic voice.
It took Zane a moment to process the new information. He spun it in his head multiple times, but each time ended the same way. Not only was he brought to another world against his will, but now he finds out they took the liberty of changing his age to fifteen. The more he thought about it the angrier he became.
He finally couldn't hold back his anger and in a raised tone asked "What the actual fuck is wrong with you gods?"
Shelly wasn't expecting that reaction. She began to stammer and try to explain herself, but the more she tried the harder she found it to justify her actions.
She finally gave up and whimpered "I thought you'd be happy to be younger."
"In what way should I be happy to be a kid?" Zane spat back.
Shelly took a moment to process what Zane had said. She came back with an almost condescending laugh.
"Oh yeah that's right. In your world the legal age of an adult is eighteen, but truly it's at twenty-one. I can see how that might make you mad thinking I made you a child. In this world you're an adult at the age of fifteen. That's when you are bestowed your true magic, and can then join a guild, or go to a magic school, or just get a regular job. There're many more things, but I doubt you care to sit here for several hours listening to me rattle off every little thing. So, to keep it simple this is your twenty-one."
"Hang on a second their goddess. What's this true magic you're talking about?" Zane asked confused
Shelly was quiet for a bit before responding "Ok so, basically from the time you're born till you turn fifteen you can use what's called general magic. That's things like first aid, mana detection, and very limited physical enhancement magic. If you want to learn every little thing general magic entails, I'd recommend going to a library and reading up on it. Since you're fifteen and will get your true magic, very few of the general ones will be worth learning, but mana detection and first aid are two I'd highly recommend you learn. As for what is true magic? Well simply put it's your magic specialty, like fire, earth, water, etc. however the only way to unlock your true magic is by going to a magic temple. There the monks will have you touch a magic orb known as the Omega Stone. This stone will then unlock your magic and after practicing and getting used to it, will be your greatest ally in this world. Since I'm explaining things to you, allow me to tell you about guilds. After unlocking your magic if you decide you want to be an adventurer you will have to join a guild. To do that all you have to do is go to the guild you want to join and request an application to join. The guild master will look it over and interview you, and if they decide they want you then congrats, but if not, you have two options. First, wait one year and train and try again. This is a very common thing for people who just unlocked their magic. The second option is you go to another guild and try again there. Just so you can't say I wasn't transparent with you, the odds of someone who just unlocked their magic making it in a guild is about ten percent. It's not because the guilds hate young mages. It's that the missions you can take are very dangerous and young inexperienced mages are five times more likely of being killed on a job. Lastly are magic schools. This is the recommended option for newly unlocked mages. This gives them an opportunity to learn and perfect their magic while still getting the experience they'll need to be successful guild mages. There are tons of schools but the top five are Leonadawn Academy, Ravenhorn Academy, Grim Academy, Voud Academy, and the most elite and prestigious school Novachrono Academy. Only the wealthiest, and or most gifted students get accepted there. That should about cover it. Any questions?"
Zane couldn't respond for several minutes. He was still processing the overload of info he had just had dumped on him.
When Zane finally did speak his focus was on an issue that made everything the goddess had told him mute.
"That's all fine and good and all, but how the hell am I supposed to get to a guild or academy, or temple?"
There was a tense and long pause as Zane slowly started to realize that Shelly had no idea how he was going to escape the dungeon. The longer the pause persisted the more this dungeon felt like a tomb. The humungous room he stood in suddenly felt like it was closing in. He could feel panic rising from his stomach. His heart rate was spiking and his breath came haggard and fast. Zane could feel the beginnings of a panic attack, and the more he tried to calm himself down the worse it was becoming. The room began to spin and his head felt light and hot like someone had placed a flaming towel on his head. Zane quickly sat down to avoid falling down. He wondered if this was it, and if so, why the hell was he brought here? This thought became the catalyst for him to calm down the more he thought about the situation that he was in the angrier he became. He never asked to be brought here, and some god or goddess or whatever brought him here then tried to kill him quickly by placing him in a dungeon with no way to defend himself. His anger grew second by second, and he didn't just stop with Angrboda. He felt his blood boiling at all the gods and goddesses of this world. Soon his anger morphed into hate, and after that his path was clear. He wanted one thing and one thing alone… REVENGE.
Shelly meekly chimed in after several minutes of silence saying "I…I'm sorry Zane, but…"
Zane cut her off with "Of course you won't help me, but thanks I'm sure your sorry will protect me from those monsters. Maybe if I ask them really nicely, they'll give directions, or more likely they'll eat me as an appetizer."
Shelly was silent for a second then tried again "Look, I know you're mad but…"
Again, Zane cut her off "Shut the hell up you bitch. You think because you helped this one time, you're somehow innocent? You didn't stop them from bringing me here. So, allow me to put this simply for you. I'm going to first destroy Angrboda, and then I'm coming for all the rest of you assholes. And trust me when I say, I will survive this, and will get my revenge. Now leave me the hell alone." With that Zane unconsciously cut the mental connection.
Zane fumed for a solid bit before taking a big inhale through the nose and massive exhale out the mouth. This helped to steady his breathing and his mind. He was still pissed, and it was fortunate for everyone else that he was alone. However, he had calmed down enough to think rationally. As he reevaluated his predicament he walked around the room. Zane was looking for something, anything to help him escape this prison. Outside he could hear the giant beast howling and its footsteps stomping back to his location. As the footsteps crashed closer, he felt a tad bad for insulting Shelly. It was here barrier that was keeping him safe right now, and since he basically just declared war on all the deities of this world. She may decide to say fuck it and let down his only defense. To his shock and pleasant surprise as he traveled along the sides of the wall, he stumbled upon a gift that he was pretty sure wasn't there earlier.
"What the hell is this?" he asked inquisitively
Laying there was a bowling ball sized crystal ball. Zane studied it for a moment before laying his hands on it.
"OHHH SHIT!!!!" Zane screamed as the ball started glowing a deep blood red crimson. The ball began to get hotter and hotter. Zane began to panic thinking it would fry his hands clean off. If nothing else it would permanently scar them. However, he soon realized that the heat wasn't burning him. Yes, he could feel the heat, but it didn't hurt. Actually, it felt comforting, and safe like when he'd spend the night at his grandpa's house. After five or so minutes the heat ceased and the glow faded, but one thing was definitely different.
"I think that orb just unlocked my magic." Zane said with surprise
The orb shattered into a million pieces but not before delivering one last message. "I know this doesn't make up for everything, but I hope this helps you survive. Good Luck Zane."
"The goddess must have sent this to me as an apology" Zane said conflicted.
Zane stood in the corridor feeling the red-hot energy of his newly acquired magic. He was pretty sure by the fact that the orb glowed red and the heat he was feeling that it was probably a type of fire magic. Now he just had to figure out how to use it. The powerful steps of the behemoth were crashing ever closer with each passing second. He still wasn't sure if the barrier was up, but the fact that after everything he said to Shelly, she still gave him the crystal ball. He hoped her barrier would also still be up.
"No time like the present to figure this out." Zane said with a smile that seemed more to convince himself than anything else.
Zane closed his eyes and extended his hand. He focused on his white-hot rage, as well as the feeling of warmth and comfort his grandpa used to give him. He wanted this power to be strong enough to melt the gods, but not something he couldn't control and would hurt everybody. It wasn't the people of this world's fault that he was brought here against his will. He didn't want to hurt them because he was pissed off at the divinity of this world.
As he focused on those two emotions, he directed the flow to the palm of his hand once it was centralized, he released all of it. A pure deep crimson red flame raged from his hand enveloping the whole room and even spewing from the exit of the corridor.
When the flames dissipated two things became abundantly clear. First, controlling this power was going to require a lot of practice. Second, was that this wouldn't be like the anime and manga he'd read back on his world. Not but moments after the spell ended Zane felt the room spin and his sense shutting down, and the last anguished squeals of something just outside the corridor.
Zane awoke suddenly shooting up and checking his surroundings. To his shock he was back in his bed at grandpa's house. Confusion washed over him as he took in everything.
"How can I be here? This isn't possible… is it?" Zane asked, looking for anything or anyone to give him answers.
His thoughts were put on pause when his door opened and in walked his grandpa. Zane sat there speechless. He tried to force words out, but nothing came. His grandpa just walked up with a huge smile and sat at the end of his bed.
"So, I heard you and your mom had another fight." Grandpa said not an ounce of judgement or disappointment in his voice. Instead, it was filled with love and acceptance.
Zane looked around his room. Everything was exactly as he remembered from his childhood. The teal green wallpaper that always felt like it belonged in a girl's room not a boy's. The book shelf next to the door overflowing with books, and the closet also overflowing with clothes. The grey fuzzy rug that really didn't seem to flow with the walls, but Zane begged for it because he thought it was so cool. The deep brown dresser that he remembered using as a launching pad when he pretended to be Batman. Also, how he broke his arm…twice. The Ikea night table that was held together with thoughts and prayers between the bed and dresser. At the foot of his king size bed opposite from the door was his desk still overflowing with papers and his laptop. He could feel the softness of his black sheets and thin fuzzy red blanket.
"How are you here? How am I here? Did I die in that dungeon?" Zane said in rapid succession.
His grandpa sat there staring at Zane before belting out a laugh that Zane remembered all too well. That was his grandpa's laugh, he'd never forget it. A warm comforting feeling washed over Zane. After laughing for several minutes his grandpa stared at him and answered "You ran here of course. As for how I'm here, I live here son, and I don't know about no dungeon, but I can confidently say that you're not dead yet." His grandpa paused for a moment then continued "From what I heard you and your mother had a fight and she kicked you out again. I don't know or care to know the details of the fight, but would like to apologize for my daughters' actions. I don't know where I went wrong with that girl for her to think that kicking their own son out is acceptable. Still, I'm happy to see you and you're welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like." Grandpa then flashed that warm smile, and just like that all the anxiety and stress just seemed to melt away.
Zane sat there speechless, it was really him, but that's not possible. Zane knew that his grandpa had died four years ago to cancer. Zane was there the night he died. He died in Zane's arms before the paramedics could get there. He planned the funeral and took care of his grandpa's affairs. Friends and colleagues all showed up, but as for family Zane was the only one who showed up. The family was all present and accounted for when it was time for the will reading though. Zane hated all of them. They never gave a damn about him, just what he could give them. His grandpa used to always say "My legacy isn't in the work I've done, but the family I leave behind" he loved his family and was proud of all of them. Zane never could understand that, and till the will reading he thought he never would.
The room suddenly began to spin and his grandpa faded from view. What replaced the scene was the aforementioned will reading. The warm and loving bedroom at his grandpa's was replaced with a law office filled with an icy and greedy air. The only one mourning was Zane. The walls were lined with degrees, books, trophies of varying types, and pictures with both clients and famous people the lawyer had met. The room was filled with chairs facing a giant wooden executive desk. Seated behind the desk was an older man around sixty. He wore a designer black suit and a Rolex that probably cost more than some cars. The lawyer had thin gray hair that barely covered his head. His eyes looked worn and tired, and he seemed genuinely mournful of Zane's grandpa's passing.
The lawyer cleared his throat before talking. This gave everyone a chance to settle down and to mark the start of the reading.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Henry O'Neil, and I am William Newgate's lawyer in charge of his legal affairs. Now with that out of the way let's get to why we're all here." Henry paused for a moment then began reading the contents of the will. "Family has been my greatest joy and deepest sorrow. When I was growing up, I didn't have much. There were times that I thought me and my family would be homeless. This upbringing lit a fire in me to work hard and make sure that my family never had to grow up the way I did. I went to college and had a successful career. This allowed me to keep my vow and provide a good and stable life for my family. I had hoped that in doing this my kids and grandkids would be able to grow up happy, healthy, and inspire them to go after all their dreams and ambitions. This is where the sorrow comes in. I have watched as my kids have abandoned the principles that me and my wife tried to instill in each of them. I've watched as greed, entitlement, and materialism became all my kids cared about, and this unfortunately has been passed down to my grandkids as well. I spent many days and nights wondering what I did wrong as a parent, and if I had done something differently could this have been avoided. I was ready to give up and accept I'd failed as a parent, but my eldest daughter without knowing it helped to show me I hadn't failed yet. She dropped her oldest son off at my door at the age of six. She said he was too difficult and she couldn't be bothered to raise him. Thus, Zane came to live with me for the next four years. He was a remarkable young man and smart as a whip. He didn't care about material items, but instead cherished the time he could spend with me and my wife. He'd sit around and ask me to tell him stories of my time in the military and how me and grandma met. Those four years renewed my faith in me as a parent and grandparent. He returned to his mother's care after she deemed he'd finally outgrown his rebellious faze. However, throughout the years he'd end up staying with me for long periods of time for a myriad of reasons ranging from her kicking him out because they had a fight, to she had important people coming over and Zane would make her look bad. I was more than happy to have him especially after my beautiful wife passed, but I couldn't help but get frustrated with the lack of care for Zane's feelings. I tried to show him what real family looked like, but I could see in his eyes that his belief in family was irrevocably broken. Still, I loved him unconditionally and made sure to show him how much he meant to me. I have many regrets about my handling of family, but I can't go back and change that. So, as I face the prospect of my mortality. I Willam Newgate of sound mind and still functioning body give all my earthly assets and possession to Zane Newgate my grandson. I know this can't make up for your childhood, but I hope this helps you forge a future that's all your own. I am beyond proud of you and love you more than I can ever express. Thank you for being YOU."
As Henry finished reading the will the whole room was quiet. Nobody spoke, nobody moved, it was like everyone thought if they don't move or speak the contents, they just heard weren't real. Finally, after several minutes Zane's mom stood up and stared at Henry shrieking.
"You have to be fucking kidding me! This is complete bullshit!"
The rest of the room erupted into a screaming match, as each member took turns yapping like a chihuahua. This went on for what felt like an eternity. Henry sat their anger filling his once mournful eyes. Zane sat there as well, having not moved or spoke the entire time. The rest of the family hadn't attacked him yet. Like usual they didn't notice him, and nor did they care to notice him.
The lawyer looked at Zane and his eyes went from anger to understanding. Understanding why William loved his grandson so much. Why he'd left everything to him. He finally understood what made Zane so special. Zane didn't care that he'd inherited this decent sum of assets. He'd trade it in an instant for his grandpa back. He cared more about the person than what the person could give him.
Zane's mom noticed Henry looking at Zane, and she realized if she can't pressure Henry into giving her what she wants then she'll get Zane to give her what she wants.
Zane's mom cleared her throat and in a silky-smooth voice she said "Zane my son you agree with mommy that this isn't fair right? It is only fair that his assets are split equally between all his kids." She wore a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and dripped oppressive condescension.
The rest of the family all turned to face Zane and many echoed the words that his mother had just said. They all had that same damn fake niceness that he'd always seen when they wanted something they didn't earn or deserve.
Zane sat there feeling his rage bubbling up more and more. He kept thinking about how he didn't care about the assets. They meant nothing to him. He just wanted his grandpa back. He was the only one who cared about him, he was the only one who showed up for him. He was gone and Zane felt all alone, and worst of all it didn't matter what he said or did. In the end he'd still be alone…ALWAYS ALONE.
The room began to spin again and suddenly he was back in his room at his grandpa's place. back in his bed facing his grandpa's smiling face. For just a brief moment he was back to feeling not alone.
"So, son what's new with you? I feel like I haven't seen you in years." Zane's grandpa said laughing.
Zane gave a slight smile before saying "It's been about four years."
William took a deep inhale and releasing it mused "That long huh? Well, I can tell you've grown up to be a fine young man. If it's not too hard, could you catch me up on everything I've missed?"
Zane sat there for a minute trying to make heads or tails of everything that was happening. He couldn't be talking to his actual grandpa, not unless he himself was actually dead and that beast ate him after he passed out. His grandpa knew damn well he was dying. This had to mean that he was talking to the memory of his grandpa.
"Well, I don't quite know where to start, but after you died the family quickly fell apart. When you left me everything the whole family turned on me and even went as far as contesting the will. They lost and even had to pay me damages, but that only cemented me as the bad guy in their eyes. After that they cut me out of their lives and life went on. I sold the house, and used the profits to rent me a nice loft apartment. The rest I put into the market and found out I've got a knack for investing. That became my job and I can proudly say I tripled the amount you left me."
Zane paused and his grandpa laughing said "That's fantastic. Well at least the part about you tripling your money. I'm sorry you had to go through all the fighting with the family. So, are you married or have kids or maybe a dog?"
Zane smiled and answered "I don't have any of those, but I do have someone I live with. You remember your grandson Dokja?"
William looking confused responded "No, I can't say I do"
Zane sat there for a minute then burst out laughing "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't. He changed his name after you passed. You would have known him as Charles. The youngest of your grandkids. Well, when he turned sixteen the family exiled him for daring to want to carve his own path. That was about two years after you passed. He moved in with me, changed his name to Dokja Newgate, and has been thriving ever since."
William's face beamed with pride but also with sadness. Sadness that he couldn't be there with them. Sadness that he left them in such a painful spot. Even with all that his pride in the fine young men they'd become couldn't be overshadowed. His eyes welled with tears, and Zane hoped this moment would never end.
Like they say though, all good things must come to an end. Zane could feel something pulling him back. He must be waking up, which he recognized was a good thing, but he wasn't ready to go just yet.
"I'm sorry grandpa, but I think it might be time for me to go back." Zane said the tears he'd been holding back finally flowing free.
His grandpa hugged him and whispered "I'll always be right beside you and I'm so beyond proud of you son. I have one request for you. Don't live your life with hate in your heart. Be kind and free, forget all the baggage of your past. This is a new adventure and make it one with no regrets."
As the pull became too hard to pull away from, Zane saw his grandpa's face one last time. It had a smile bigger than Texas. Just before he woke up, he gave him a smile back and said "I'll put it on my list." Then it all went black.